Supporting Export Promotion

An apex body called the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) was set up in 1965 with its registered office in Delhi, as a common and coordinating platform for the various export organizations including the Commodity Councils and Boards and the service institutions and organizations. The principal activities of the FIEO are:

1. Convening meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops to provide opportunity to all sectors of the exporting community and export promotion institutions in India to review, discuss and, wherever necessary, to formulate recommendations to the Government ad other authorities., on problems, prospects and potentials of Indiaâ€™s exports.
2. Arranging â€˜round-tableâ€™ conferences of business interests in India with trade missions and other business teams on a visit to India.
3. Inviting leading business interests and Economic and Trade Missions from abroad especially for a tour of industrial and commercial centers in India.
4. Projecting Indian goods and services abroad through various media including films, exhibition, advertisements and publications.
5. Sponsoring outgoing multi-interest trade and economic missions, and special teams of government recognized export houses, consultancy firms, small scale industries and individual study-cum-sales teams.
6. Maintaining overseas liaison with International and UN Agencies like ITC, WTO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, IMF, World Bank, ASDB, ILO, etc.
7. Establishing rapport with overseas chambers of commerce, trade associations and government department concerned.
8. Sponsoring special projects related to the export promotion of Indiaâ€™s consultancy services.
9. Executing projects and responsibilities entrusted to it, from time to time, by the Government of India and serving as a forum for two-way transmission of views and information between government departments and the exporting community.
10. Promoting trade, economic and technical co-operation between India and other countries by way of international seminars and creating special infrastructure for follow-up.

The FIEO is the primary servicing agency to provide integrated assistance to Government recognized export houses as also the central coordinating agency for export promotion of consultancy services.

FIEO is now placing great emphasis on intra and inter-regional co-operation in trade and economic matters with a view to promoting harmony and understanding through, economic trade and technical ties.

Department of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics:

The Department of Commercial Intelligence and statistics is located at Kolkata. Its functions comprise (1) commercial intelligence and (2) collection compilation and publication of the statistics of trade, tariffs and shipping. The work of the Department is broadly divided into the following principal categories

(a) Collection and supply of commercial information required by the government and the trade;
(b) Maintenance of registers of Indian and foreign firms;
(c) Publication of the Directory of Exporters of Indian products and Manufactures;
(d) Publication of the weekly â€œIndian Trade Journalâ€ and Monthly Statistics of â€˜Foreign Trade of Indiaâ€™;
(e) Publication of the periodical reports received from India Government Trade Representative stationed in foreign countries in regard to economic conditions in these countries;
(f) Mediation in commercial disputes between Indian and foreign firms with a view to bringing about amicable settlement;
(g) Trade introduction; and

Directorate General of shipping:

Till 1949, the Ministry of commerce was responsible for all matters relating to policy and administration of merchant shipping. Subsequently, it was felt that there should be a separate organization to deal with all executive matters relating to merchant shipping. Accordingly, the Directorate General of Shipping was set up in September 1949, with headquarters at Mumbai. Its functions, interalia include:

Freight Investigation Bureau (FIB) was set up in the Directoaarte General of shipping in 1959. This has branch offices at Kolkata, Kochi, Kandla, Chennai and Viskakhapatnam. The main functions of FIB are:

1. to investigate into the representations of shippers / shippersâ€™ councils relating to high / anomalous / discriminatory freight rates and to secure necessary adjustment;
2. to critically examine proposals of Conference lines on Periodic increases in freight rates and to provide guidance to shippersâ€™ councils with a view to enabling them to have an effective dialogue with Conferences on such proposals.
3. to provide spot assistance to shippers all over the country in procuring timely and adequate shipping space;
4. to collect maintain and examine freight rates of Conference/ shipping lines operating in Indiaâ€™s overseas trade and also in International cross trade;
5. to analyze the impact of changes in freight rates and to keep shippersâ€™ councils and other organizations concerned posted on such amendments;
6. to investigate into complaints regarding lack of shipping facilities; and
7. to serve as a liaison organization between shippers and shipping companies to solve shipping and freight problems through mutual consultation.

All India Shippersâ€™ Council:

The Freight Investigation Bureau organized shippers in various parts of India on regional basis and formed five regional shippersâ€™ association viz., Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern and South Western. In addition, there is an apex body on all-India basis, viz., All India Shippersâ€™ Council. New Delhi. The activities of the Council include consultation between shippers, ship owners. Conference Lines, port authorities and the Government on matters of common interest such as structure of freight rates, Conference practices, availability and adequacy of shipping space, port facilities, terms of shipment, port charges, coastal shipping etc. for export import cargo. The Council also deals with air cargo problems.
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